


Exhaled at Noon

by voleuse



Category: Damar - McKinley
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-01
Updated: 2008-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-04 02:51:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voleuse/pseuds/voleuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>My first assignment was a worn-out sky.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Exhaled at Noon

**Author's Note:**

> Set after _The Blue Sword_. Title and summary adapted from Rick Bursky's _The Watchman_.

Despite living in or near Damar for the past several decades, Jack found himself feeling the odd man out in his new world. Richard, at least, had a sweetheart and his magic to get him through. (So did Harry, when it came to that.) All Jack had was an odd scar on his palm, and a desperate desire to never leave.

One evening, Richard found Jack sitting on the floor of his quarters, his back against the wall, whittling a train out of wood. "Jack?" Richard said, and Jack could hear all the _he's gone around the bend_ tone the Homelanders probably used to discuss him.

"I find myself," Jack announced, "missing chairs. Real ones, not these solid benches that I keep falling out of when I stand up at dinner the wrong way."

There was a long pause, then Richard joined him on the floor, slumping against the wall with a sigh. "Harry's right about toast," he shared. "I miss cod, myself."

Jack chuckled. "Not a lot of ocean around here, I suppose." He scraped the last of the bark from his piece, watched it curl before his knife eased it away with a flick.

"I love it here," Richard said.

Jack paused and looked at his friend, surprised into stillness at the honesty of him.

"I love it here," Richard repeated, "but it's a bit different, knowing we're not allowed back _there_."

Jack turned the confession over in his mind, then nodded. "I've thought of Daria, of Damar, as my home for years." He traced the tip of his knife around the edge of the wood, trying to envision the next cut. "I think, for some reason, that Damar is still thinking about claiming me."

"Maybe we should go live in the desert for a while, prove our worth."

"Not a bad idea," Jack mused. "Do you think Harry would lend us that big tent?"

Richard laughed. "Come on, old man." He slapped a hand to Jack's shoulder. "We'll be late for dinner."

Jack flipped the wood in his hand, and smiled, and stood.


End file.
